![\"Jaw](\"https:\/\/oregonent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cotton-swab.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe harrowing story of a 31-year-old man in\r\nEngland who nearly died from an infection caused by a cotton swab in his ear\r\nhas recently come to light. It serves as an excellent cautionary tale on the\r\ndangers of inserting things into your ears. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
BMJ Case Reports<\/a> published the report involving an unidentified male from Coventry, England. He collapsed without warning one day after experiencing seizures. Prior to this, his health was fine; he\u2019d complained of occasional pain and hearing difficulty<\/a> in his left ear for a few years but otherwise had no medical concerns. His physician had recently prescribed antibiotics to treat what was thought to be a severe ear infection. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A few days before his collapse, the man\u2019s pain\r\nintensified and was accompanied by headaches, nausea and vomiting. He\u2019d been\r\nnoticing recent signs of memory loss, as well. Upon transport to the hospital,\r\nscans showed abscesses between the surface of his brain and the protective\r\nmembrane surrounding it. Closer examination revealed an impacted cotton swab\r\ndeep in his left ear canal; this caused a serious infection known as\r\nnecrotizing otitis externa to spread from the soft tissues in his ear canal to\r\nthe surrounding bone. Surgeons removed the cotton swab, cleaned his ear canal\r\nand treated the infection with antibiotics. He recovered completely from the\r\nfrightening incident (and now has a fun conversation to share over the dinner\r\ntable).<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n While this man\u2019s experience was extreme, the American Academy of Otolaryngology \u2014 Head and Neck Surgery\u00a0warns against using cotton swabs<\/a>\u00a0to clean your ears. They usually end up doing more harm than good, simply pushing wax deeper into your ear canals. Cotton swabs aren\u2019t the only potentially dangerous objects; the Academy also warns against items such as safety pins and toothpicks, whose sharp edges could cause a perforation of the eardrum<\/a> or a cut in the ear canal that might become infected. Children are especially susceptible; more than 263,000 were treated in emergency rooms between 1990 and 2010 for ear injuries related to the use of cotton swabs and other items. Speak to them about these hazards to prevent an unpleasant visit. \u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n